Author: Kate Marie Warch, Pro Photographer

5 Tips for Building Your Business Using Facebook Contests: Finding new clients can be a difficult task when you’re building up your business. The best advice I can give photographers who may be at the start of their journey is to offer a Freebie Shoot. Two years into my business- during a lull in scheduling, I posted a Giveaway Contest on Facebook. All people had to do was leave their name & email. This practice is also an easy way to build your email marketing list, so even if they don’t win the giveaway, you have access to a new group of high-value individuals to market to for future shoots. I had multiple people enter and I randomly picked one for a newborn shoot.

The family that won this was over the moon and they even added on a paid Maternity shoot, so I was already gaining a client. Since then, I have photographed 1 maternity shoot, 2 newborn shoots, a first birthday session, & 3 years worth of holiday photos all from that one family, not to mention countless referrals.

I was very lucky that my randomly chosen winner of my give away years ago is still paying off in my favor today! I have become friends with this family & it just goes to show that if you put your best foot forward and be a little generous, clients will come back!

Here are some tips on how to approach this method of drumming up some business:

EXPERIENCE: Give your client the absolute best experience during your shoot. Going above & beyond will encourage their return as a full paying customer in the future.
PLAN SHOTS: Since this session is free for your client, you have a little more flexibility in setting up shots that you want to work on. You have the freedom to concentrate on what you like so you can, in turn, use these images to market your style.
BUILD NETWORK: Tell your clients that the best way you do business is through referrals and that you always appreciate when you share their images and use your business name. Give every client a few business cards on the way out- simple & easy!
LOYALTY OFFERS: You can always offer small discounts for repeat customers or bundle deals for multiple shoots. Sometimes a small savings will entice customers to invest more by knowing that they are getting a better deal for their money overall.
GIVE THANKS: Every session I do comes with a small print package. I always throw in a few extra prints as a thank you for working with me. This costs photographers a few dollars but makes a big impact on our clients. They absolutely love the surprise of extra prints!

Find your style in photography and advertise your favorite images. Showcasing your best work will attract clients who want a similar look. It can take years to build up a business but keep on shooting what you love and the clients will find you! All you need is one client to have an amazing experience and from there, you can build tons of bookings based off of that one.

Kate Marie Warch Photography | Oyster Bay, NY

Kate Marie Warch is a Long Island native who specializes in newborn, children, & family photography. She works out of her home studio in Oyster Bay and on location. She adores all of her little clients & loves watching her clients grow. She graduated from Fairfield University with a double major in Film & Television Production.

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